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With so many people using the web to find out information before even placing a call to a Realtor, we have to keep our websites up with the times.

I have made my website easy to use and full of information. From links to the MLS system for easy home searching, to a list of what to expect, to a list of preferred providers, to a mortgage calculator, it is all in one place. I am constantly uploading new listings, price changes, and disclosures for all of my listings.

I just started using AgentView this year and have really benefited from it. Many times the consumer is just looking for the value of their home to be used when considering a refinance or maybe just curious about the market. However, this is a great opportunity to reach out and possibly get a listing lead.

By responding quickly and trying to build a rapport, it may end up that a neighbor or family member is in the market to buy or sell a home.I am always ready to help by providing such information.

If you are good at it, people will remember you.

If nothing else, AgentView gives you the opportunity to sharpen your marketing skills and may refresh your knowledge of a particular area. It causes you to find out what a certain area in the market is doing.I have been surprised on a few occasions.

Eric Pakulla is a long-time AgentEvaluator® Platinum Club member and now a HomeGain AgentView agent as well.

Visit Eric’s Agent Blog for home buyers and sellers in the Maryland area.

We use MRIS (Metropolitan Regional Information System). There have been quite a few additions to our drop down menus. You can now choose short sales and foreclosures in a home search. We have had quite an interest from home buyers that feel they are getting a great value with these type of sales.

MRIS has also added features such as a highlighted banner in the remarks section. Here we can boast the best features of the home, and it will catch the attention of other agents. We also have the capability to relist a home after it has been off the market for at least 90 days and the total days on market starts over at zero.

In the past we had to wait 6 months for a property to be relisted to start with zero days on market. This benefits the seller tremendously if they want to take a few months off and then relist their property. We have a fairly new feature of virtual earth map which gives you the option of a birds eye view or aerial view of the property. Continue reading this post

Homes that are priced right and show well sell quickly and for almost full price. We are still seeing a lot of seller concessions, and FHA financing. FHA mortgage limits range from $560,000 in the Baltimore region which includes Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Baltimore City, Howard, Harford and Carroll counties to $729,250 in Montgomery, Frederick, Calvert, Charles and Prince Georges counties.

The Baltimore market is holding steady with new jobs being created for BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure). Maryland is expected to gain more than 45,000 federal and private sector jobs.

We are still seeing some short sales and foreclosures but overall the Baltimore market is still pretty good.

Eric Pakulla is a Realtor with The Eric Pakulla Team, RE/MAX Advantage Realty in Baltimore, Maryland.

Max definitely needs to “relax” because we have been busy – on both the buying and selling side here in Maryland. Things are also picking up with summertime quickly approaching.

Although our market has been down in terms of prices, many of our listings have recently sold. This means we need to get even busier and find more homes to list.

One of our biggest issues with home sellers is price. I have to work quite a bit with them to list their home at the correct price. They aren’t too happy about the idea at first, but when they see their home sell and other homes listed around the same time not sell or sit on the market with a “Reduced Price” For Sale sign, they understand my strategy and appreciate my advice.

We have invited Max to our HCAR (Howard County Association of Realtors) Casino Night and participate in the “Realtor Idol” Contest. We hope he’ll have time in his busy schedule. My strong Team and my Broker at RE/MAX Advantage Realty—who was just named Broker of the Year—will all be attending. Continue reading this post

I strongly recommend using surveys and questionnaires whenever possible.

Asking for feedback from consumers who can critique your provided services, even asking agents in your own real estate office, can prove very valuable to improving the way you do business.

I use the feedback from clients for reviews on my website, in my listing presentation and in my AgentEvaluator® proposals.

It also gives me an idea of what areas I can improve on for future business, as well as track where the leads are coming from.

Of course, I personally call my customers whenever possible. Although email is effective and efficient, I feel a phone call is so much more personal and direct.

In fact, my Broker, RE/MAX Advantage, does a home tour once a week. There are 5 or 6 homes in the same area that we caravan to and critique the home. We fill out a questionnaire Continue reading this post

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